Chapter 16
It had been seven long days of waiting, but the time was finally here.
I’d just gotten word from Casper that my father, Gideon, and two fools had crossed into Rushin Mills. The clubhouse location had been the same for the last forty-two years, so I knew my father would go there first. It was the middle of the night, and he probably believed that since the streets were silent, they were in the clear.
He’d been gone a long time because silent streets should have been a red flag.
“They just pulled up.” Casper’s voice came through the speaker, and Boss nodded, although Casper couldn’t see him.
“Aight, walk them to the basement.”
“Cool. See you when you get here.”
I finished tying up my boots and stood to my full height.
Cecilia and Hendrix were stashed in my room at the clubhouse. I still wasn’t on board with Cecilia being a part of this, but Boss pulled rank and said she was owed this. What both of them said made sense, but I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to her because of him.
My emotions must have been all on my face because Boss came up to me and put his hand on my shoulder.
“Relax. We have the upper hand, and nothing will happen to her. It’s four of them and fifty of us. Gideon, hell, even Pops can try, but nothing will happen.”
“I’m holding you to that because if some shit pops off and she gets hurt, that’s your ass.”
He laughed and shrugged. “I’ll take that.”
For good measure, I said a prayer, then we stomped out of the house.
I had no idea how I would react after seeing my father for the first time in what had to be over fifteen years. My stomach rolled with each step we took toward our bikes. We could have taken my truck, but I wanted them to hear us coming. My father got off on mind games, so it was only right to return the favor. As we drove toward the clubhouse, several bikes joined us, and it felt good to have my brothers behind me.
It had been a minute since we rode together, and I couldn’t think of a better time.
“Tonight, a bitch pays for the disrespect to one of us. The only people walking out of here with breath in their bodies will be Rebels!” Boss shouted once every bike had come to a stop in front of the clubhouse.
“Yes!” sounded around several of the guys, while others clapped.
“Let’s go in here and kill us a bitch.”
I shook my head and chuckled because my brother was great at many things, but pep talks weren’t one of them.
However, it seemed to work on the guys because they stormed the clubhouse like a mob with pitchforks. I walked slowly, making sure all the guys beat me inside. No part of me was afraid, but the day to confront my past was here, and I didn’t know what to do with my feelings.
The conflict had me feeling like a punk, and that pissed me off.
“Ah, there they are…” I heard my father’s voice as I hit the last step to the basement. “My sissy of a son and the one who should have been my only.”
Once he was in my line of vision, I gripped my bow, ready to send an arrow right through the middle of his forehead. Again, Boss must have been in my head because he stepped in front of me. However, I didn’t need him protecting me against our father like he had when I was a child.
“What’s up, Pops? Long time no see. Time hasn’t been kind to you. That can’t be good,” I taunted. “What’s up, Gideon? You look like you’re about to shit your pants, but that can’t be, because the way you’re dressed let me know you came prepared to fight.”
“How about you remove these chains and—ah!”
I sent an arrow into my father’s gut because I was tired of hearing his mouth.
The moment the arrow pierced his skin, Gideon jumped and looked on the verge of tears. His scary ass was pissing me off. How was he capable of beating Cecilia to a pulp but could barely sit in a room full of men without looking like he was about to come out of his skin. My father hissed, and I winked at him.
I wasn’t sure why he believed the Helix he abandoned all those years ago would be the same one standing in front of him today.
“Speak out of turn again, and I’ll send one through you. Do we have an understanding?”
Instead of giving a verbal answer, he glared at me, so I took that as a yes and smiled.
“Now that we have your attention, Pops and dear old stepbrother, we’d like to address some things.” Boss paused for dramatic effect, and I snickered. “Gideon, you are here to answer for your crimes of mental, physical, psychological, and verbal abuse. Only cowards turn against the women who love them. However, seeing as though you’re close with this man, your mistreatment makes sense. Before your sentence is handed out, would you like to say a few words?”
“It’s a misun?—”
I shot an arrow into his shoulder.
Boss whipped around, and we stared at one another. After a few seconds, I shrugged. Whatever Gideon was about to say would only piss me off, and I would have him shot him anyway. There was no way to explain the trauma Cecilia still experienced ’til this day. He could keep those lies between his lips.
Boss turned back around and put his hands out.
“Welp, guess you don’t get to lie your way out of this. I have a few forms I need you to sign before you die.”
I handed Boss the paperwork from my book bag. He took it and waved it in Gideon’s face.
“What is that? I don’t have any money to give.” I shot him in the other shoulder, and Boss spun around to face me. “Get from behind me with that shit, Arrow! I swear to God if you shoot me by accident, it’ll be your funeral next.”
“Well, you was about to let him lie again , and I’m ready to get back to my lady and my baby. We need to hurry this along.”
Tech had managed to pull all of Gideon’s, my father’s, and his wife’s bank statements.
Due to embezzlement, loan shark ties, and his governor position, the Baxters were sitting on a pretty penny. Tech had already begun the transfer process of every last penny to an offshore account. The goal was to set up Cecilia and Hendrix for all she had to endure while being a part of that family.
Gideon’s mother would suffer the worst because her husband and son were about to die, and she was about to pay for both of their transgressions with jail time.
“This packet is for you to sign over your rights to Hendrix. He’s a Miller, not a whack ass Baxter. This one is you signing over the deed to your house to Cecilia. She won’t be living there, but she can sell it and put the money up for my nephew?—”
“I’m not sighing none of that. Cecilia is mine and will be until her last breath.”
I laughed and said, “Nah, playa. I been spraying her guts with little Helix soldiers. That’s all me now.”
When it came to Cecilia, Gideon showed some of his fight.
However, even if he wasn’t chained to the chair, he would have never made it toward me. I smirked, grabbed another arrow, and pointed it toward him. Instantly, he stopped fighting, and that disappointed me. I expected him to keep the same energy, and because he didn’t, I shot the arrow into my father’s shoulder.
Every eye in the room turned toward me. Hell even my father looked confused.
“I don’t even want to know.” Boss sighed. “You will sign every document because it’s the least you can do after being a fuck boy all your life. Everything you have will belong to Cecilia and that little boy you helped her create. You and this man you look up to are dying tonight. Let’s do one last good deed before you go.”
“People know where we are! If anything happens to us, you’ll have the police at your doors in less than two hours of them finding our bodies.”
Boss and I looked at each other.”
“Bodies?” I asked. “What makes you think there’ll be bodies to find? Buck!”
Ten seconds later, Buck turned the corner with an industrial sized drum, with Snoopy right behind him with another one.
Behind them were the two guys that had come with my father and Gideon. Buck, Snoopy, and the guys stopped in front of the seated men. Razor pushed the guy he walked in toward Buck’s bin. With one blink of an eye, Razor had whipped out his blade and sliced through the flesh on the side of his face. He smiled at his handiwork and dropped the flesh into the bucket.
It fizzled, and the stench was offensive but had done what it needed to for my father and Gideon.
“Helix, I know you hate me, but don’t you think this is going a little far? I didn’t—” Boss knocked the taste out of his mouth before I could send another arrow into his body.
“Too far? If you ask me, you’re getting off pretty sweet. You are his kill, and he will get it by any means necessary. Be lucky it’s him and not me because I’d make you suffer off principle alone.” Boss huffed.
I turned to Gideon and said, “For every second that passes without you signing everything over to Cecilia, Razor here will skin you before he begins taking your extremities. Now, how painful this all will be is up to you.”
Gideon visibly gulped.
I wasn’t with all the skinning, but if it helped get me what I wanted, then I could find the strength to be cool with it for the time being. Gideon nodded, and I walked over to him to untie his hands, and for good measure so he knew not to mess with me, I ripped the arrow I shot in the front of his shoulder out and pushed it into the top of his shoulder.
The scream Gideon let out was music to my ears.
“Just in case you got any ideas.”
A table was dragged in front of him, and Boss slapped the packets and a pen down. There were pre-marked tabs, so it shouldn’t take us long to get through this part. Once he was done signing, I would have Cecilia brought in to do what she needed to.
“Is that all?” Gideon asked breathlessly once I snatched up the last packet.
“It sure is.” I turned to Snoopy, and he nodded.
I tied Gideon back up and stood to my full height.
My feet moved me toward the steps because I wanted to be there to greet Cecilia. Behind me, there were some tears shed, but I didn’t bother turning around to see who it was. My focus was on the door. If it were possible, I would have turned myself into a full suit of armor for her.
The door opened, and Cecilia stuck her head around the corner, and I chuckled.
“Bring your ass here, crazy girl.” I held out my hand to her. “This is what you wanted, so come on!”
“Shut up.” Cecilia scoffed then came closer.
Snoopy shut the door behind them and jogged down the stairs.
“Remember, neither of them can hurt you. But listen…” I turned her toward me and grabbed her cheeks. “No using your hands. Your hands are a necessity to the world of Hendrix and me. I have a few tools you can use, but no hands.”
Cecilia nodded her understanding, so I turned her loose.
A small gasp left her lips as she came close to Gideon and my father. She backed up into me and looked up. I smiled and shrugged, which caused her to roll her shoulders back. Gideon had fire in his eyes, and I wanted him to say something to her so I could light him up. Instead, it was my father who chuckled and shook his head.
Cecilia’s head whipped in his direction at the same time as mine did.
“Is something funny?” I stepped around her to get to him.
“Actually, it is. That pussy must have some power to it to have you chasing behind your brother’s sloppy seconds.”
Two arrows loaded, and I let them fly, not caring where they landed.
“That bitch ain’t my brother. Watch your mouth because you have one more thing to say to me, and you’re going straight into the bucket without the mercy of dying first.”
I glared at him, waited, but nothing else was said by him. Cecilia tapped me on the arm, so I looked down at her to see her eyes glued to Gideon. There was so much hate and disgust being passed between them that even in silence, it was deafening.
“I know what I want to use.”
“Aight. What tickles your fancy? It’s a go as soon as you’re ready.”
She paused for a quick second, gave me her eyes, and said, “I want to use your bow and arrow.”